Slate is one of the natural types of stone that has existed in nature for over 400 years. Due to its extraordinary strength and durability, the material gained its popularity back in the 15th century. Even then, it was widely used as a roof on cathedrals and castles. Many architectural monuments are still decorated with slate tiles, which after many years have not lost their strength and presentable appearance. The ability to ennoble the building and emphasize the high wealth of its owner makes slate stone popular today. What are the advantages of a slate roof over other materials and whether it is easy to install, we will consider in this article.
What is a slate roof?
Slate tile is a piece of roofing material of an elite class, made of rock rocks, characterized by the ability to split into thin, but strong layers.
It can be laid on the roofs of complex geometry, for which far from any roof is suitable. Slate tiles are most often found in dark gray, brown and dark green. The premium material may have a shiny finish and brighter colors, but due to the high cost, this slate is more often used for decorating surfaces. The thickness of the plate varies from 4-9 mm, while its shape and size can be very diverse.
But, unfortunately, in our world there are no perfect materials, no exception - and the slate roof. The pros and cons of this coverage will try to consider in more detail.
Positive features of the slate roof
The slate stone earned the title of high-tech and elite material for a reason. This was facilitated by a number of positive properties that cause a large number of sympathies from homeowners. Namely:
- Huge service life. Rock stone has incredible strength and retains its properties for several hundred years.
- The material is resistant to ultraviolet radiation, so it does not lose its color throughout the entire period of operation.
- Natural stone is completely safe for the environment, as it does not contain harmful substances.
- Shale plates are very easy to process and do not crack during the driving of nails.
- The roof of this material has a high level of sound absorption, so it does not create discomfort during rain.
- Slate does not crack and does not deform under the influence of heat and is absolutely fireproof.
- It withstands temperature extremes, does not absorb moisture and is not subject to corrosion.
Material flaws
Almost any roof has several negative qualities. Slate tiles are endowed with only two drawbacks - it is heavy weight and high cost.
Since shale deposits are located deep enough to get them to the surface, it is necessary to make a lot of effort and use expensive equipment. The extracted material undergoes exclusively manual processing by qualified craftsmen, which also requires considerable costs. Both circumstances make the shale roof a luxury item that not everyone can afford. The cost of 1 square. m of material reaches about 150 euros.
Installation of a slate roof is also expensive. The price for laying such plates is quite high, since the work must be carried out by experienced and professional craftsmen, whose services are usually not cheap.
The large weight of natural stone (more than 50 kg per 1 sq. M of material) requires the installation of a reinforced rafter system.
What should be the basis for laying a slate roof
Despite the excellent characteristics of the shale roof, the duration of its operation largely depends on the correctness of the preparatory work.
It should be noted that the slope of the roof for the slate roof should be at least 25 degrees.
A very important step in the installation of the roof is the installation of the crate, which can be made in the form of a solid base or grilles installed with a small pitch. In this case, the step between the boards should not exceed half the width of the slate plate.
Typically, for the manufacture of crates, wooden slats 40x60 cm in size are used, which are fixed on the rafters with nails. The rafter system is performed in a standard way, but taking into account the weight of the stone tiles.
Styling technology
Installation of shale roofs is a very troublesome and responsible process. As mentioned earlier, it is better to entrust the installation to a knowledgeable person who has extensive experience working with this material. Otherwise, even if minor mistakes are made, an expensive roof can quickly fail.
The technology of laying slate tiles on the roof involves the use of one of three possible ways to arrange the plates: English, French, German.
For the English method, plates of the correct shape and the same size with rounded edges are chosen. The essence of this method is that the tile of the upper row is installed with an overlap on the previous row. The material is fastened in horizontal rows using copper nails or hooks.
The French masonry method involves the use of square tiles, while the upper and lower corners are pre-cut. In this case, a beautiful scaly effect is created, due to which this styling method is called the most attractive.
Masonry in the German way can be made of tiles of different sizes. Each plate is positioned at an angle, which contributes to the rapid removal of water during rain. Closer to the edge of the roof, the slope should increase.
Before proceeding with the fastening of shale slabs, it is necessary to lay waterproofing material on the crate. On it, you can pre-mark the location of the tiles, which will simplify and speed up the process of their installation.
Conclusion
From all of the above, we can conclude that from this material a strong and durable roof is obtained. A slate roof is a luxurious and expensive element of the house that is capable of capturing the admiring glances of passers-by for many years. The price of shale slabs is, of course, high, but can elite class material be cheap? And if we take into account the highest degree of reliability of the natural coating, then we can safely say that its cost is fully justified.